Pontremoli

Surrounded
by mountains, the municipal territory extends for 182,68 square kilometres
for the most part hilly in Val di Magra, at the influx of the river Verde
and along the Cisa road. Autonomous community from 1777 with the Leopoldine
reform, it obtained the title of City the following year. In 1957
the district of Arselato was aggregated to it having been detached from
Zeri.

Placed under the jurisdiction of the Marquisate of Toscana, Pontremoli
was recorded for the first time in a document of 990. in the XII and
XIII centuries it had its own communal establishments, but from the end
of the 1200, weakened internally by the fighting between the Guelfi and
Ghibellini and the attempts by the neighbouring States on account of its
position in the only gully with easy access to Lunigiana , it was subjected
to the dominion of numerous Lords both Italian and foreign. Conquered
by the Malaspina in 1319 and the Antelminelli in 1322, in 1331 it
was sold by Giovanni di Boemia to Mastino della Scala Lord of Verona,
from whom it was removed in 1339 by the Visconti di Milano. These,
in their turn, had to cede in 1404 to Fieschi di Genova, but it returned
to them in 1433 with the peace of Ferrara. From 1450 to 1508 dependent
to the Sforza, who had become Dukes of Milano, while at their defeat in
the war with France it passed to the French until 1522. In 1526 they subjected
themselves to Carlo V and were governed by them, first via the Meschi
then directly by Spain until 1647 when it was sold to the republic
of Genova. The act of sale was overruled by Filippo IV three years
later, and it became part of the Grand Duchy of Toscana where it
remained, except for the period of French domination, until the Unity
of Italy.

Since 1952, Pontremoli has also hosted the Premio Bancarella,
an internationally-known literary competition.
The gastronomic speciality of Pontremoli are the testaroli,
recognised by many experts as the first example ofpasta.
The name derives from testi, two round plates in which the pasta is cooked.
When ready, it's cut into various forms, thrown into boiling water for
a few minutes, then drained and dressed as desired. In this area, it's
usually eaten with pesto or olive oil and parmesan.

Places to visit:Great Bell tower, Castruccio
Castracani had it built in 1322 to separate the local camps of the
Guelfi and the Ghibellini.Museum of the Lunigiana stonestatues, is situated in the ancient Castle of Piagnaro,
there is a collection of stone statues of the prehistoric era.